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WADIA 

SOIVIE  OBSERVATIONS 
ON  THE  STUDY  OF  THE 
SECRET  DOCTRINE 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Some  Observations  on  the 
Study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine 

of  H.  P.  Blavatsky 


■'. 


B.   P.  WADIA 


^'«'0N  H\<^^ 


Some  Observations  on  the 
Study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine 

of  H.  P.  Blavatsky 


B.   P.  WADIA 


<?■, 


^'^'onn'fi'^^ 


THEOSOPHICAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  NEW  YORK 

230  Madiison  Avenue 

New  York  City 


Copyright  l!>22 
By  Theosophical  Association  of  New  York. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


B.    P.   WAD  I A 


Growth  Through  Service 


The  Inner  Ruler 


Problems  of  National  and 
International  Politics 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America. 


FOREWORD  ^ij^lZ^O 

REGARDING  THE  AUTHORSHIP  OF  THE 
SECRET  DOCTRINE 

The  Secret  Doctrine  is  dedicated  to  all  true  Theoso- 
phists  in  every  country  and  of  every  race,  "For,"  said 
H.  P.  B..  "they  called  it  forth  and  for  them  it  wa^ 
recorded."  The  Secret  Doctrine  therefore  is  a  Record, 
and  thus  a  very  different  kind  of  a  book  than  ordinary 
publications.  For  the  student  who  wants  to  learn  from 
this  wonderful  Record,  it  is  necessary  that  he  should 
take  note  of  the  following  three  very  important  and 
signihcant  statements  regarding  the  actual  authorship 
of  the  book  : — 

Statement  (1)  "I  wonder  if  this  note  of  mine  is 
worthy  of  occupying  a  select  spot  with  the  docu- 
ments reproduced,  and  which  of  the  peculiarities 
of  the  'Blavatskian'  style  of  writing  it  will  be 
found  to  most  resemble?  The  present  is  simply 
to  satisfy  the  doctor  that  'the  more  proof  given 
the  less  believed.'  Let  him  take  my  advice  and 
not  make  these  two  documents  public.  It  is 
for  his  own  satisfaction  the  undersigned  is  happy 
to  assure  him  that  The  Secret  Doctrine,  when 
ready,  will  be  the  triple  production  of  ( here  are 
the  names  of  one  of  the  Masters  and  of  H.  P. 

B.)  and most  humble  servant," 

(signed  by  the  other). 

On  the  back  of  this  was  the  following,  signed  by 
the  Master  who  is  mentioned  in  the  above: — 

"If  this  can  be  of  any  use  or  help  to , 

though  I  doubt  it,  I,  the  humble  undersigned  Fa- 
quir, certify  that  The  Secret  Doctrine  is  dictated 
to  (name  of  H.  P.  B.)  partly  by  myself  and 
partly  by  my  brother " 


Statement  (2)  "The  certificate  given  last  year,  say- 
ing that  The  Secret  Doctrine  would  be,  when 
finished,  the  triple  production  of   (H.  P.  B.'s 

name),  ,  and  myself,  was  and  is 

correct,  although  some  have  doubted  not  only 
the  facts  given  in  it,  but  also  the  authenticity  of 
the  message  in  which  it  was  contained.  Copy 
this,  and  also  keep  the  copy  of  the  aforesaid 
certificate.  You  will  find  them  both  of  use 
on  the  day  when  you  shall,  as  will  hap- 
pen without  your  asking,  receive  from  the 
hands  of  the  very  person  to  whom  the  cer- 
tificate was  given,  the  original  for  the  pur- 
pose of  allowing  you  to  copy  it;  and  then 
you  can  verify  the  corrections  of  this  pres- 
ently forwarded  copy.  And  it  may  then  be  well 
to  indicate  to  those  wishing  to  know  what  por- 
tions in  The  Secret  Doctrine  have  been  copied 
by  the  pen  of  (H.  P.  B.'s  name)  into  its  pages, 
though  without  quotation  marks,  from  my  own 

manuscript  and  perhaps  from _ , 

though  the  last  is  more  difficult  from  the  rarity 
of  his  known  writing  and  greater  ignorance  of 
his  style.  All  this  and  more  will  be  found  nec- 
essary as  time  goes  on,  but  for  which  you  are 
well  qualified  to  wait." 

Statement  (3)  "I  have  also  noticed  your  thoughts 
about  The  Secret  Doctrine.  Be  assured  that 
what  she  has  not  annotated  from  scientific  and 
other  works  we  have  given  or  suggested  to  her. 
Every  mistake  or  erroneous  notion,  corrected 
and  explained  by  her  from  the  works  of  other 
theosophists  was  corrected  by  me,  or  under  my 
instruction.  It  is  a  more  valuable  work  than  its 
predecessor,  an  epitome  of  occult  truths  that  will 
make  it  a  source  of  information  and  instruction 


for  the  earnest  student  for  long  years  to  come." 
(From  a  letter  of  Master  K.  H.  to  Colonel  Ol- 
cott,  published  in  "Letters  from  the  Masters  of 
the  Wisdom" — page  54) . 

Statements  (1)  and  (2)  given  above  will  be  found  in 
"Reminiscences  of  H.  P.  B.  and  'The  Secret  Doctrine^  " 
by  The  Countess  Wachtnieister  and  Others,  at  pages 
ll'l — 116.  The  circumstances  under  which  these 
certificates  were  given  are  narrated  therein  by  Dr. 
Hubbe-Schleiden,  page  113,  as  follows: 

"I  never  did  and  never  shall  judge  of  the  value  or 
the  origin  of  any  mental  product  from  the  way  and 
manner  in  which  it  is  produced.  And  for  this  reason 
I  withheld  my  opinion  then,  thinking  and  saying:  T 
shall  wait  until  The  Secret  Doctrine  is  finished  and  then 
I  can  read  it  quietly;  that  will  be  the  test  for  me,  the 
only  one  that  will  be  any  good.' 

"This  is  the  reason  why  on  the  night  of  my  last  part- 
ing from  H.  P.  B.,  the  two  certificates,  which  were 
printed  for  the  first  time  in  the  last  April  number  of 
The  Path,  page  2,  were  given  to  me." 


SOME  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE 

STUDY  OF  THE  SECRET  DOCTRINES  OF 

H.  P.  BLAVATSKY.* 

"What  I  do  believe  in  is:  (1)  the  unbroken  oral 
teachings  revealed  by  living  divine  men  during  the 
infancy  of  mankind  to  the  elect  among  men  ;  (2)  that  it 
has  reached  us  unaltered ;  and  (3)  that  the  Masters  are 
thoroughly  versed  in  the  science  based  on  such  uninter- 
rupted teaching." 

H.  V.  B.  in  Lucifer,  October,  1889. 

''The  Secret  Doctrine  is  not  a  treatise,  or  a  series  of 
vague  theories,  but  icontains  all  that  can  be  qi'i'cn  out 
to  the  world  in  this  century." 

Secret  Doctrine.  Volume  I,  Page  XXXVIII. 

(Edition  1888). 

People  who  attend  classes  for  the  study  of  The  Secret 
Doctrine  usually  do  so  for  one  of  two  reasons.  First, 
there  are  those  who  want  the  teachings  for  the  purpose 
of  self-improvement,  who  go  to  the  book  with  the  hope 
of  obtaining  simple,  clear-cut  formulae  for  the  devel- 
opment of  psychical  or  abnormal  powers,  such  powers 
as  the  great  author  of  the  book,  H.  P.  Blavatsky,  is 
herself  reported  to  have  possessed;  some  seek  mental 
self-improvement,  hoping  that  the  book  will  enable  them 
to  run  the  race  of  the  competitive  life  on  this  earth  in 
a  more  efficient  manner.  Secondly,  there  are  those 
wlio  go  to  the  book  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  straight, 
definite  teachings  of  Theosophy  presented  in  a  way  that 
an  ordinary  intelligent  individual  can  grasp,  with  the 
desire  of  imparting  the  teachings  to  others,  and  helping 
them  to  understand  the  great  truths;  these  desire  to 

« 

•  Report  of  a  talk  to  a  Rroui)  of  students  and  cn<iuirersl  Riven  at  the 
Headquarters  of  the  Theosophical  Association  of  New  York,  on  Satur- 
day. February  18tJi,   1922. 


learn  so  that  they  may  teach.  In  both  these  cases  the 
student  is  apt  to  be  disappointed ;  for,  while  it  is  quite 
true  that  The  Secret  Doctrine  does  help  individual 
spiritual  growth,  it  does  so  along  a  line  that  is  the  least 
suspected  by  the  would-be  student ;  while  it  is  also  true 
that  the  teachings  of  The  Secret  Doctrine  are  there  for 
all  those  who  possess  a  mind  not  altogether  untutored, 
still  the  information  conveyed,  the  teachings  imparted. 
the  whole  exposition  of  Theosophy  is  put  forward  in 
an  unexpected  style,  in  an  unfamiliar  way,  by  a  strange 
and  almost  unique  method. 

Sometimes  people  complain  that  H.  P.  B.  did  not 
know  how  to  write  clearly  and  lucidly.  That  is  not  so. 
Readers  of  the  Key  to  Theosophy  can  testify  to  the  fact 
that  the  author  of  The  Secret  Doctrine  possesses  the 
faculty  of  expounding  her  teachings  in  a  very  lucid, 
clear-cut  and  straightforward  manner.  Let  it  be  there- 
fore noted  that  H.  P.  B.  had  a  purpose  in  view  when 
she  wrote  as  she, did  write;  that  H.  P.  B.  had  not  an 
"involved  style  of  writing,"  as  it  is  often  called,  is 
clearly  proven  to  the  reader  of  such  of  her  books 
as  Caves  and  Jungles  of  Hindustan  and  Night- 
mare Tales.  H.  P.  B.  had  the  power  of  giving 
out  her  teachings  in  a  direct  and  lucid  manner 
whenever  she  chose  to  do  so ;  if  at  any  time  she 
followed  a  method  other  than  that,  it  was  with  a  dis- 
tinct purpose  in  view.  That  purpose  relates  itself  to 
the  developing  of  that  faculty  or  quality  to  which  refer- 
ence will  be  made.  Another  criticism  of  the  writer  of 
The  Secret  Doctrine  may  well  be  taken  up  here.  It  is 
often  claimed  by  her  critics  that  she  wanders  into  by- 
ways and  digressions  in  presenting  her  subject,  that 
she  often  flies  off  at  a  tangent  and  labors  unnecessarily 
to  prove  her  point  by  quoting  ancient  texts  and  modern 
authors.  In  this  connectio'^n  let  it  not  be  forgotten  that 
H.  P.  B.  was  an  occultist,  and  that  no  occultist  ever 

8 


puts  his  teachings  before  the  pubhc  on  his  own  author- 
ity alone,  unsupported  by  corroborative  testimony  of 
occultists  of  previous  ages.  H.  P.  B.  could  never  say : 
"I  have  had  a  vision ;  it  is  your  duty  to  accept  it."  She, 
as  an  occultist,  was  obliged  to  give  all  the  evidence  that 
she  could  gather  to  support  her  teachings,  and  this  she 
has  done. 

A  proper  study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine  should  ac- 
complish two  things ;  if  the  student  proceeds  along  the 
right  lines,  his  own  inner  life  will  get  an  impetus  and 
his  own  spiritual  progress  will  be  furthered ;  also  his 
capacity  to  learn  and  to  gather  information  and  tliereb}' 
to  teach  and  serve  others  will  be  greatly  strengthened. 

The  Secret  Doctrine,  when  correctly  studied,  pro- 
duces a  definite  change  in  those  who  study  it.  The 
specific  method  which  has  been  employed  in  writing  the 
book  brings  out  a  particular  kind  of  faculty  in  the 
student — the  faculty  of  spiritual  perception.  That  fac- 
ulty is  the  penetrative  quality  of  the  mind;  th.it  aspect 
of  mind  which  has  for  its  nature  the  quality  of  penetra- 
tion into  any  subject  which  is  being  studied.  There- 
fore the  student  of  The  Secret  Doctrine  should  always 
remember  that  the  study  of  this  book  will  awaken  in 
him,  and  will  strengthen  in  him  that  particular  faculty 
which  will  enable  him  to  penetrate  more  fully  into  all 
subjects,  whether  these  subjects  be  inside  or  outside  The 
Secret  Doctrine.  In  this  study,  properly  carried  on,  a 
particular  mental  process  is  bound  to  take  place  in 
which  this  faculty  will  be  sharpened ;  this  is  the  special 
contribution  which  the  study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine 
makes  to  personal  progress.  Naturally  this  faculty 
does  not  appear  instantaneously — its  development  takes 
time;  neither  will  the  occasional  persual  of  the  book, 
nor  the  attendance  of  a  study-class  once  a  week,  bring 
this  faculty  to  light.  But  if  the  student  takes  The 
Secret  Doctrine  as  his  book  of  individual  study,  and 
gives  to  it  one  half  hour  of  his  time  every  day  at  a 


regular  hour,  great  results  can  be  brought  about.  It 
such  a  course  be  pursued,  the  mind,  because  of  the  law 
of  automatic  action,  will  begin  to  operate,  will  com- 
mence to  respond  to  the  vibrations  that  are  raised  by 
the  study  of  this  book,  so  that  when  the  hour  of  the 
weekly  class  arrives,  the  faculty  is  brought  to  it  sharp- 
ened in  some  measure  by  the  daily  effort,  and  much 
more  keenly  sensitive  than  would  have  been  possible 
without  this  dailv  work. 

INDIVIDUAL  WORK  FOR  THE  CLASS 

In  order  that  this  faculty  may  be  developed,  it  is  not 
necessary  for  the  student  to  read  page  after  page  of 
T]\c  Secret  Doctrine,  from  the  first  page  to  the  last, 
neither  is  it  essential  that  subject  after  subject  be  stud- 
ied with  the  help  of  the  index.  The  point  that  is  ot 
the  utmost  importance  is  that  the  daily  study  be  under- 
taken from  the  point  of  viezv  of  the  development  of  this 
faculty.  If  the  book  be  opened  at  any  page,  in  either 
of  the  two  volumes,  the  student  should  begin  to  read 
with  concentration,  trying  definitely  to  understand  that 
which  he  is  reading  and  endeavoring  to  illuminate  his 
mind  in  terms  of  the  written  thought.  In  this  manner, 
slowly  but  steadily  the  faculty  will  grow.  Unless  this 
individual  work  be  done,  the  student  will  not  be  able  to 
gain  or  give  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  benefit 
from  and  to  the  group ;  for,  in  the  class  something  else 
should  be  done.  In  the  class,  the  faculty  which  has 
been  steadily  growing  by  the  power  of  individual  effort 
should  be  applied  to  grasp  and  understand  some  par- 
ticular subject.  The  information  that  one  may  get  about 
a  certain  subject  is  not  the  first  essential,  as  so  many 
people  think ;  the  thing  of  fundamental  concern  to  the 
student  is  the  building  of  this  faculty,  the  developing  of 
this  power  of  mind  which,  as  the  ancient  books  put  it, 

10 


is  capable  of  alighting  upon  a  subject  of  putting  itself 
down  into  it.  of  sucking  out  everything  that  is  in  the 
subject  and  thus  illuminating  it.  The  faculty  must  first 
be  there  in  order  that  the  subject  may  be  thoroughly 
and  rigidly  understood. 

Each  member  of  the  group  should  come  to  the  study 
class  with  the  faculty  which  he  has  been  shaq:)ening  all 
week  through  his  individual  efforts.  This  faculty  he 
applies  in  the  class  to  the  gaining  of  knowledge  on  the 
particular  subject  which  the  group  is  studying.  The 
Secret  Doctrine  is  of  so  complex  a  nature,  is  so  intricate 
in  its  composition,  that  it  is  only  when  individuals  as  a 
group  come  together  to  discuss  it  harmoniously,  to  give 
all  that  each  has  to  give  and  to  take  all  that  the  others 
have  to  offer,  that  a  thorough  and  complete  under- 
standing of  its  teachings  becomes  possible.  Very  few 
minds  can  accomplish  this  individually,  and  this  is  a 
fact  peculiar  to  the  study  not  only  of  The  Secret  Doc- 
trine but  of  all  occult  books.  Consider  the  manner  in 
which  the  Upanishads  used  to  be  studied  in  the  East. 
Each  individual  took  a  verse  and  meditated  upon  it ; 
then  verse  after  verse  the  Upanishads  were  repeated  and 
chanted  in  groups,  each  verse  being  discussed  and  de- 
bated in  order  that  the  truth  underlying  it  be  thoroughly 
understood  and  comprehended,  and  thus  made  part 
and  parcel  of  the  life.  Thus  in  all  the  old  schools,  even 
in  the  rules  as  observed  today  in  true  occult  schools  the 
double  aspect  of  study  is  found ;  first  the  aspect  of  in- 
dividual study,  where  the  effort  is  made  to  develop  the 
faculty,  then  the  aspect  of  group  study  where  the  stu- 
dents come  together  to  express  and  exchange  theii 
views,  and  where  the  faculty  gained  by  individual 
effort  is  applied  in  a  certain  way  and  for  a  ceriran 
purpose. 

11 


THE  OBJECT  OF  THE  CLASS 

The  object  of  group  study  it  twofold:  first  to  gather 
information,  to  learn  something  definite ;  second  to 
teach  to  others  what  has  been  learned.  If  self-improve- 
ment alone  be  the  motive  that  actuates  the  study  of  The 
Secret  Doctrine,  the  knowledge  acquired  will  not  be  full 
or  profound.  The  book  is  without  doubt  written  for 
the  spiritual  growth  of  the  student,  but  this  growth  is 
possible  only  when  the  teachings  are  utilized  for  the 
spiritual  help  of  others.  This  does  not  necessarily 
mean  that  the  facts  learned  are  to  be  given  to  others ; 
it  means  that  certain  aspects  of  the  truths  that  have 
been  learned,  Vv^ith  their  application  to  the  affairs  of 
daily  life,  be  passed  on  to  those  with  whom  the  stu- 
dent comes  into  contact.  The  effort  must  be  made 
to  help  others  by  means  of  the  things  that  have  been 
learned  in  the  group,  otherwise  the  work  of  the  group 
is  not  complete.  Suppose  the  group  is  studying  the 
subject  of  Rounds  and  Races.  The  subject  is  not 
very  simple,  and  to  teach  it  as  such  would  be  neither 
interesting  nor  helpful  to  the  majority  of  people.  But 
in  the  practical  application  of  the  teachings  in  every 
day  life  much  interest  would  be  found  and  much  good 
could  be  accomplished.  The  discovery  of  what  the 
Races  are  in  the  humanity  that  surrounds  us,  the  mean- 
ing of  cycles  and  their  application  to  life,  all  these 
things  are  of  practical  value  and  should  be  passed  on 
to  those  outside  the  class  room. 

Just  as  the  individual  has  a  certain  relationship  to 
the  group,  so  has  the  group  itself  a  definite  relation- 
ship to  the  \vide  world  outside.  Both  of  these  must 
be  borne  in  mind  by  the  student,  as  upon  these  two 
relationships  depends  the  success  of  any  study  group. 
That  each  individual  sharpens  his  faculties  so  that 
he  may  serve  his  own  group,  and  that  each  group 
gains  knowledge  so  that  it  may  better  serve  the  world- 

12 


group  called  Humanity  ;  this  should  be  the  foundation 
stone  and  the  basic  aim  of  every  individual  in  every 
group  that  takes  up  the  study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine. 

THE  METHOD  OF  STUDY 

Now  as  to  the  method  of  study  which  has  been 
found  to  be  most  helpful.  Many  people,  when  be- 
ginning the  study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine,  lose  them- 
selves in  innumerable  details,  before  they  have  even 
faintly  grasped  the  meaning  of  the  subject  itself.  The 
first  general  rule  for  a  study-group  is  to  obtain  a 
fair  view  of  the  entire  structure  of  The  Secret  Doc- 
trine with  the  help  of  the  Contents  and  a  general 
turning  over  of  the  pages  of  the  two  volumes.  A 
careful  perusal  of  the  Preface,  Introductory,  Proem 
and  Summing  up  in  the  first  Volume,  and  of  the  Pre- 
liminary Notes  and  the  Conclusion  in  the  Second  will 
give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  superstructure  of  the 
book. 

When  this  is  done  a  particular  subject  may  be 
chosen  for  study.  This  study  must  devote  its  early 
period  to  grasping  principles,  broad  and  general  facts, 
paying  no  attention  to  the  details. 

Study  the  subject  as  thoroughly  as  possible  with 
the  help  of  the  Index  and  other  works  of  H.  P.  B. 
[sis  Unveiled.  Key  to  Thcosophy,  Modern  Panarion, 
Voice  of  the  Silence,  etc.,  and  her  articles  in  the 
Theosophist,  Lucifer  and  The  Path.  Then  write  down 
what  is  learned  and  if  the  tendency  is  to  go  into 
details,  check  it  and  confine  the  efiforts  to  the  expres- 
sioni  of  broad  principles.  The  attempt  should  be 
made  to  write  this  resume  of  the  study  in  simple, 
untechnical  language,  using  words,  phrases  and  sen- 
tences which  are  familiar  to  the  ordinary  man  or 
woman  in  the  street.  The  real  test  of  understanding 
a  teaching  comes  when  the  student  is  able  to  express 
this  teaching  in   simple,  untechnical  terminology,  and 

13 


until  this  is  possible,  he  has  not  mastered  the  teach- 
ing thoroughly. 

This  implies  that  every  member  of  the  group  should 
participate  in  the  work  of  gathering  information  and 
presenting  it  in  a  proper  and  suitable  form  to  the 
group.  No  leader,  however  clever  or  however  industri- 
ous in  his  work  for  the  class,  can  do  full  justice 
to  all  the  books  of  H.  P.  B.,  and  therefore  the  various 
volumes  of  her  writings  should  be  distributed  to  the 
different  members  of  the  class,  each  member  of  the  clas.s 
having  a  special  book  for  his  own  particular  work. 
If  the  study  group  be  of  the  nature  of  a  round  table 
conference,  to  which  every  member  comes  with  his 
own  contribution,  willing  not  only  to  learn  but  to  teach 
as  well,  genuine  work  will  be  accomplished.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  work  in  order  to  gain  wisdom,  and  this  distri- 
bution of  labor  among  all  the  members  of  the  class 
makes  it  possible  to  avoid  the  institution  of  teacher 
and  taught,  leader  and  listener,  and  tends  to  produce 
the  atmosphere  of  impersonality  so  important  and  ne- 
cessary in  work  of  this  kind. 

When  the  broad  principles  are  mastered  and  out- 
lined, the  study  group  should  go  into  the  numerous 
details,  fill  in  the  gaps  and  complete  the  summary. 
These  summaries  should  be  produced  for  the  help- 
ing of  others ;  therefore  the  summaries  should  not 
be  criticism  or  personal  interpretation  of  the  writers 
of  the  summary  but  should  be  faithful  translation  of 
H.  P.  B's  teachings.  What  is  wanted  is  her  teaching 
and  opinions,  not  our  views  on  them. 

The  idea  of  using  tlie  material  which  has  been 
gathered  at  the  study  classes  as  the  ba.sis  of  future 
lessons  for  other  people  is  a  primary  factor  in  group 
work,  and  therefore  the  selection  of  subjects  in  which 
the    outside   world    would   be   interested   becomes    of 

14 


paramoiuit  importance.  If  the  student  intends  to  pre- 
pare lessons  for  other  people  who  arc  not  in  the  class, 
people  who  are  not  acquainted  with  The  Secret  Doctrine, 
the  first  question  he  should  ask  himself  is  "What  are 
the  subjects  in  which  the  outside  world  would  be 
most  interested?  In  which  subjects  would  they  be  able 
to  find  the  most  help  for  their  next  step  of  growth?"' 
For  these  teachings  should  not  be  given  out  with  the 
intention  of  interesting  or  amusing  the  public,  not 
even  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  them  in  an  intel- 
lectual way ;  rather  should  the  endeavor  be  made  to 
give  something  that  will  enable  people  to  take  the 
next  step  forward  from  the  spiritual  point  of  view. 
Therefore  in  planning  out  lessons,  the  three  great  Vs 
of  teaching  should  be  taken  into  account — Interest,  In- 
struction, Inspiration ;  the  lessons  should  arouse  the  in- 
terest of  the  students,  give  information  and  instruc- 
tion, and  at  the  same  time  inspire  them  to  take  the 
next  step  in  advance  in  their  own  spiritual  life. 

SELECTION   OF   SUBJECTS   OF  STUDY 

What  are  the  particular  Theosophical  teachings  that 
will  be  of  greatest  help  to  the  man  of  the  world? 
The  concept  of  Evolution,  the  nature  of  God,  God's 
relation  to  His  Universe  through  evolution. — these  are 
fundamental  things  that  will  interest  and  instruct  and 
inspire.  The  simple  propositions,  the  fundamental 
teachings,  the  practical  tilings  that  can  be  applied  in 
daily  life,  these  are  the  teachings  that  should  be  studied 
and  set  forth ;  the  Theosophical  concept  about  the  na- 
ture of  God,  about  the  lines  of  Evolution,  but  above  all 
the    question — "What    is   Theosophy  ?" 

H.  P.  B.  herself  has  given  indications  in  her  Proem 
and  the  Summing  up — The  Three  Fundamental  Propo- 
sitions established  by  The  Secret  Doctrine  (See  Vol.  1, 
Proem,  pages  14-17,  Ed.  1888)  and  the  six  Items  re- 

15 


viewed  in  the  Summing  up  (Vol.  1,  pages  269-282) 
make  an  excellent  foundation  for  group  work.  There- 
fore the  following  definite  suggestions  may  be  put  for- 
ward for  stud\'  work: 

First.  Understand  thoroughly  and  in  all  its  inward- 
ness the  teaching  of  H.  P.  B.  on  "What  is  Theoso- 
phy." 

Second.  Study  the  Three  fundamental  Proposi- 
tions. 

Third.  Study  the  Summing  up,  especially  the  six 
items. 

If  success  is  hoped  for,  it  is  a  wise  thing  for  the 
group  to  have  a  definite  plan,  and  in  this  plan  the  time 
element  should  play  an  important  part.  It  is  also 
wise  for  the  group  to  definitely  formulate  the  essen- 
tial details  of  the  plan  before  the  first  meeting  where 
study  will  begin,  and  after  these  details  are  formulated 
they  should  be  strictly  adhered  to.  Members  of  the 
group  should  look  upon  each  meeting  as  a  strict  duty 
which  should  be  religiously  performed,  and  sundry  in- 
terferences should  not  be  allowed  to  creep  in. 

THE  MIND  OF  THE  AUTHOR 

In  the  study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine,  an  attempt  should 
be  made  by  each  student  to  contact  the  Mind  of  the 
writer.  If  the  student  sits  down  to  his  study  with 
his  lower  mind  emptied  of  all  thoughts,  and  entirely 
at  rest,  at  peace  with  itself  and  all  the  world,  if  he 
approaches  his  study  with  a  feeling  of  willingness, 
nay  eagerness,  to  grapple  with  a  difficult  subject  and 
a  determination  to  attempt  to  contact  the  Mind  of 
the  writer  of  the  book,  then  may  he  hope  for  real 
results.  If  the  group  of  students  who  are  gathered 
together  for  the  purpose  of  studying  The  Secret  Doc- 
trine begin  each  meeting  with  a  short  meditation  on 

16 


the  particular  aspect  of  wisdom  that  they  wish  to 
contact ;  if  they  harmoniously  and  in  perfect  unity 
try  to  lift  their  thoughts  to  a  higher  level ;  if  they 
be  intent,  concentrated  and  harmonious,  not  making 
cross  currents  by  unnecessary  debate  and  discussion 
but  each  making  his  contribution  as  it  comes  to  him, 
each  in  his  way  trying  to  contact  the  Mind  of  the  au- 
thor of  the  book,  if  this  method  of  study  be  followed, 
help  and  illumination  will  come.  And  this  help  and 
illumination  will  come  not  only  from  the  student's 
mind  but  also  from  the  Mind  that  recorded  the  teach- 
ings, for  that  Mind  is  very  much  alive  and  will  help 
the  students  of  the  book  if  they  proceed  in  the  right 
manner,  along  the  occult  and  spiritual  line. 

STUDY  AND  INTERPRETATION 

Therefore,  in  order  that  the  best  results  may  ac- 
crue, certain  things  should  be  definitely  settled  before 
the  group  has  its  first  study  meeting — such  as  the 
day  and  hour,  the  procedure  of  study,  the  method  of 
study  and  the  material  which  will  be  taken  up,  the 
order  in  which  the  class  will  be  conducted,  and  all 
the  other  details.  When  the  study  meetings  themselves 
have  begun,  when  the  students  are  gathered  together 
in  perfect  unity  and  harmony,  with  minds  consecrated 
to  the  task  that  lies  before  them,  in  proportion  as 
the  mind  of  each  student  is  concentrated  and  perfectly 
at  rest,  ideas  will  begin  to  strike  him.  This  last  phrase 
is  a  good  one,  for  when  the  student  begins  to  come  into 
the  spiritual  world  and  into  the  world  of  the  Masters 
and  Their  atmosphere,  he  will  literally  find  ideas  be- 
ginning to  strike  him.  ideas  which  will  illuminate  the 
passage  he  is  reading.  Information  will  begin  to  come 
to  him  from  within,  not  from  without.  If  the  student 
takes  note  of  this  fact,  he  will  see  the  reason  why  it  is 
not  wise  to  come  into  the  atmosphere  of  discussion 

17 


and  debate.  If  the  statement  of  each  student  be  put 
down,  if  the  contradictions  which  seemingly  appear 
be  also  recorded,  at  the  end  of  the  meeting  if  the 
whole  record  be  read  there  will  be  seen  to  be  a  harmoni- 
ous progress,  in  spite  of  the  seeming  contradictions, 
in  some  direction,  towards  a  definite  goal ;  many  tilings, 
to  be  sure,  will  necessarily  have  to  be  rejected,  but 
gradually  a  vast  amount  of  information  will  be  built 
up  and  the  right  method  of  grasping  The  Secret  Doc- 
trine will  have  been  discovered,  that  method  being  to 
read  not  only  between  the  lines,  but  within  the  words 
as  well. 

When  the  topic  of  study  is  selected,  and  when  the 
information  about  the  subject  is  culled  from  the  two 
volumes  of  The  Secret  Doctrine,  many  students  will 
find  that  these  ideas  do  not  coincide  with  then-  own 
preconceived  ideas  on  the  subject.  Therefore  one 
of  the  first  things  that  the  student  should  understand 
is  this :  that  he  is  not  studying  The  Secret  Doctrine 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  corroboration  of  his  own 
theories,  but  that  he  is  studying  it  in  order  to  find  out 
what  The  Secret  Doctrine  has  to  say  on  this  particular 
subject,  even  if  these  ideas  are  opposed  to  his  own  pet 
theories.  Therefore  when  the  student  approaches  the 
study  of  this  book,  his  own  mind  should  be  emptied 
of  preconceived  notions  and  ideas  about  the  subject 
which  he  has  elected  to  study.  He  should  not  try 
to  read  in  terms  of  knowledge  gained  from  other 
sources;  he  should  try  to  get  at  H.  P.  B.'s  mean- 
ing, not  to  impose  his  own  meaning  upon  her  teach- 
ings. He  should  allow  H.  P.  B.  to  speak,  not  to 
speak  for  her.  And  in  order  to  understand  what 
she  does  mean,  it  is  necessary  to  see  what  she  her- 
self has  said,  to  let  her  writings  speak,  and  not  use 
books  written  by  other  people  in  order  to  understand 
H.    P.    B. ;   rather   it   is   wise  to   use   what   H.   P.    B. 

18 


herself  has  written,  The  Secret  Doctrine^  Isis  Unveiled. 
A  Modern  Panarion,  Five  Years  of  Theosophy — all 
of  these  books  can  be  studied  to  get  a  clearer  idea 
of  her  teachings. 

If  the  earnest  desire  is  present  in  the  student  to 
fully  comjirehend  H.  P.  B.'s  teachings,  and  if  the  effort 
be  made  to  follow  the  occult  method  of  study,  the 
faculty  of  spiritual  perception  and  the  faculty  of  ex- 
pression will  begin  to  flower  in  him ;  for  these  two 
faculties  go  always  hand  in  hand — the  faculty  of  per- 
ception which  comes  from  individual  study  and  the 
faculty  of  expression  by  group  study.  And  as  these 
two  faculties  begin  to  become  inter-related  in  the  stu- 
dent, he  will  find  arising  in  himself  that  spiritual  pow- 
er, that  inner,  higher  intuitive  mind,  so  that  he  will 
carry  the  atmosphere  of  The  Secret  Doctrine  with 
him  all  the  time,  he  will  be  able  to  understand  subjects 
that  are  not  even  mentioned  in  the  book.  The  stu- 
dent must  get  into  the  very  life  of  that  book ;  he  should, 
so  to  speak,  envelop  himself  in  its  aura,  surround 
himself  with  its  atmosphere,  so  that  its  force  goes 
with  him  everywhere. 

THE  REAL  AUTHORS  OF  THE  BOOK 

And  now  let  me  come  to  the  closing  point.  Never 
forget  that  H.  P.  B.'s  Secret  Doctrine  forms  part  of 
the  Record  in  the  custody  of  the  Masters.  From  1875, 
her  teachings  have  guided  the  true  student  in  his 
quest,  and  till  1975  they  will  continue  so  to  guide. 
It  is  not  essential  to  labour  that  point  here.  All 
that  is  necessary  is  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  stu- 
dent to  the  fact  that  II.  P.  B.  was  a  Messenger  of 
the  Great  Lodge,  the  Occult  Fraternity,  and  that  she 
wrote  the  l)ook  in  the  company,  under  the  guidance 
and  with  the  co-operation  of  the  Great  Masters.  Every 

19 


group  endeavoring  to  study  the  Book  should  earnest- 
ly and  seriously  attempt  to  contact  the  life  of  the  Real 
Authors,  H.  P.  B.  and  her  Collaborators. 

The  Masters  live,  and  we  should  try  with  zeal  and 
devotion  to  make  hem  real  in  our  lives.  Nothing 
helps  the  honest  student  in  this  task  more  than  the 
right  study  of  The  Secret  Doctrine.  Masters  can  not 
be  found  by  practice  of  psychic  tricks  and  by  dubious 
contacts  with  astralism.  They  can  only  be  found 
by  meditation  and  study,  by  intellectual  honesty,  by 
sincerity  of  purpose,  and  above  all  by  the  uttermost 
purity  of  life. 

True  Occultism,  whose  Teachings  are  expounded 
in  The  Secret  Doctrine,  does  not  recognize  direct  or  in- 
direct, conscious  or  unconscious  contacting  of  forces 
which  are  not  of  white  or  beneficent  magic.  It  de- 
mands rigid  self -discipline  of  life,  the  complete  sub- 
dual of  our  selfish  and  animal  propensities,  the  un- 
equivocal denial  to  countenance  in  ourselves  or  in 
others  any  non-pure  or  non-moral  aspects  of  life,  much 
less  of  impure  or  immoral  ones.  The  Road  to  the 
Masters  is  the  Road  of  Purity — all  other  roads  are 
false.  Therefore  it  is  essential  that  members  of  The 
Secret  Doctrine  study  groups  should  pursue  devoutly 
the  Life  of  Purity.  Not  only  is  individual  study  neces- 
sary, but  the  students,  to  obtain  real  results,  should 
earnestly,  zealously  and  devotedly  attempt  to  live  the 
necessary  life  of  Purity,  of  Self-Abnegation  and  of 
Brotherliness.  Let  the  student  bring  to  his  study  class 
pure  and  upright  forces  of  life,  chastened  intelligence 
and  real  desire  to  learn  the  Living  Truth  of  the  Masters 
of  Life.  With  a  single  eye  fixed  upon  the  Lords  of 
Light  and  Love,  with  humility  but  with  sure  confi- 
dence let  him  go  forward,  steadfast  and  persistent,  un- 
til he  passes  from  the  Great  Book  to  the  Living  Reality 
behind  it. 

20 


"These  two  volumes  only  constitute  the 
work  of  a  pioneer  zvho  has  forced  his  zvay 
into  the  zvell-nigh  impenetrable  jungle  of  the 
virgin  forests  of  the  Land  of  the  Occult.  A 
commencement  has  been  made  to  fell  and  up- 
root the  deadly  upas  trees  of  superstition,  pre- 
judice and  conceited  ignorance,  so  that  these 
tzvo  volumes  should  form  for  the  student  a 
fitting  prelude  for  Volumes  III  and  IV.  Until 
the  rubbish  of  the  ages  is  cleared  away  from 
the  minds  of  the  Thcosophists  to  whom  these 
volumes  arc  dedicated,  it  is  impossible  that 
the  more  practical  teaching  contained  in  the 
third  Volume  should  be  understood.  Conse- 
quently, it  entirely  depends  upon  the  reception 
zvith  which  Volumes  I  and  II  zmll  meet  at  the 
hands  of  Thcosophists  and  Mystics,  whether 
these  last  tzvo  volumes  will  ever  be  published, 
though  they  are  almost  completed." 
Secret  Doctrine, 

Vol.  II,  pages  797-798  (Ed.  1888), 


21 


A  SYSTEMATIC  COURSE  OF  READING 

ari'anged  by 

THE  THEOSOPHICAL  ASSOCIATION  OF 
NEW  YORK. 


Key  to  Theosophy 

Ocean  of  Theosophy 

Popular  Lectures  on  Theosophy 

Echoes  from  the  Orient 

The  Occult  World 

In  the  Outer  Court 

The  Science  of  the  Emotions 

A   Study   in    Consciousness 

Isis  Unveiled 

The  Secret  Doctrine 


H.  P.  Blavatsky 

Wm.  Q.  Judge 

Annie  Bcsant 

Wm.  Q.  Judge 

A.  P.  Sinnett 

Annie  Besant 

Bhagavan  Das 

Annie   Besant 

H.  P.  Blavatsky 

H.  P.  Blavatsky 


The  Bhagavad  Gita 
The  Bhagavad  Gita 
Notes  on  the  Gita 
Doctrine  of  the  Heart 
Light  on  the  Path 
Practical  Occultism 
The  Voice  of  the  Silence 


Annie  Besant 

Wm.  Q.  Judge 

Wm.  Q.  Judge 

Annie  Besant 

Mabel  Collins 

H.  P.  Blavatsky 

H.  P.  Blavatsky 


These  books  can  be  obtained  at  the  Headquarters 
of  The  Theosophical  Association  230  Madison 
Avenue,  New  York  Citv. 


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